Tom Cruise Saved One Of The Most Acclaimed Movies Of All Time
Tom Cruise helped Todd Field get the final cut of In the Bedroom through at Miramax.
Filmmaker Todd Field says Tom Cruise saved his directorial debut, In the Bedroom after it was acquired by Miramax. At the time, the banner was led by disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, who was known for editing movies, much to the horror of creators. Speaking to the New Yorker, the 58-year-old said he was concerned about having no say about the vision of his own project.
“I was weeping in the bathroom,” Field told the publication. So he called his best friend, Tom Cruise, for some advice. Recalling the conversation, the filmmaker said the Mission: Impossible star told him exactly how to overcome the dilemma. “You’ll beat him,” recalled Cruise saying. “But you have to do exactly what I’m going to tell you to do, step by step.”
Tom Cruise told Field to allow Miramax to make all the edits. After that, Field needed to wait until the new version of In the Bedroom tested poorly with audiences. Then he needed to remind them of how well the film did at the Sundance Film Festival. Miramax would then release the original cut. The advice worked perfectly, with the movie grossing more than 25 times its budget.
In the Bedroom is based on the 1979 short story Killings by Andre Dubus. The story focuses on the family dynamics of the Fowler family. Matt is a doctor practicing in Maine and is married to Ruth, a music teacher. Their son Frank is involved with an older single mother named Natalie Strout. As the summer comes to an end, an unimaginable tragedy occurs.
Following its box office success, the movie was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Tom Cruise previously worked with Field on Eyes Wide Shut. The filmmaker also recalled how his friend encouraged him to keep pursuing his directing dream, while they worked on the erotic drama. Decades later, Field’s latest offering called Tár has been critically acclaimed.
This isn’t the first time Tom Cruise has given good advice to friends in Hollywood. Emily Blunt says the star helped her while filming Edge of Tomorrow. During an appearance on the Smartless podcast, the actress talked about how she was struggling in the film’s 85-pound weaponized suits. “The first time I put it on I started to cry, and Cruise didn’t know what to do,” she said.
After Blunt explained that she wouldn’t make it through the scene, Tom Cruise looked at her for a long time before telling her not to be “such a p***y.” In no way offended, the actress recalled bursting into laughter after being caught off guard by his words. After that, she felt that the entire production was much easier. But the suit did leave her with some long-lasting injuries to her ribs and collarbone.
Meanwhile, Tom Cruise is no stranger to dangerous stunts. The actor is known for pushing his capabilities to the limit. So while his advice to Emily Blunt might seem harsh to some, he clearly lives by the same words. The 60-year-old is set to appear in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One later this year and its follow-up in 2024.
